Steering device.



LBRUCE.

STEERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 3,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Apr. 4

J, BRUCE.

STEERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 3, 1914.

1,178,380. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.5: 9

JAMES BRUCE, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

STEERING DEVICE.

Application filed October 3, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BRUCE, a c1t1- zenof the United States,residing at Oklahoma, in the county of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma,have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Steering Devices;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements insteering devices for automobiles and other vehicles and has for itsprimary object to provide a. device of this character which will be ofextremely simple construction and operation as well as highly efficientin use.

The invention has for another object to provide a steering deviceincluding a cam with a lever for operating the cam and a strap engagedaround the cam and secured to asteering rod connected with the steeringmembers of a vehicle axle.

The invention has for a further object to provide a device of thischaracter which may be readily applied to vehicles of various charactersand which will also include means for locking the steering lever inadjusted position.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction, combi- .nation and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings in which-Figure 1 isa side elevation of the complete device applied to an automobile ofconventional form, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail plan View, showing themanner in which the steering rod is connected with the steeringmechanism, Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of my invention with the floor ofthe vehicle shown in section, Fig; 4 is a detail enlarged plan view ofthe cam and parts connected with the same, and Fig. 5 is a detailtransverse section on the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates a steeringknuckle of an axle 2 which is connected with the oppo- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Apr. t, 1918.

Serial No. 864,766.

site knuckle by the connecting rod 3 in the usual manner. To thesteering knuckle 1 I have connected rigidly the curved connecting rod 4,to the free end of which I connect by means of a universal joint 5, thesteering rod 6 of my improved steering device. To the rear end of thesteering rod 6 is connected the opposite ends of the strap 7 which isengaged around the periphery of the cam 8 and rests in the annularchannel 9 formed in the periphery of said cam 8.

The cam 8 is mounted upon the eccentric pm arms 11 depending'from thebottom 12 of the vehicle to which my steering device is applied. Whenthe cam 8 is in normal position, the eccentric pin 10 is in the lowerportion thereof.

The cam 8 is rotated in either direction upon the eccentric pin 10 bymeans of the steering lever 13 which has its lower end secured to oneside of the cam 8, as shown at 14, while the opposite end of saidsteering lever projects upwardly through the slot 15 in the floor 12adjacent one side of the vehicle, and carries the usual spring actuatedlocking pawl 16 normally engaged in the teeth 17 of the segment rod 18which is secured to the floor 12 of the vehicle upon the upper facethereof, said locking pawl 16 being adapted to be withdrawn from the 10carried in the supporting bracket teeth 17 by the usual releasing finger19, as

will be readily understood by referring to the drawings.

From the foregoing it will be clearly apparent that upon releasing thelocking pawl 16 from the teeth 17, the steering lever 13 may be readilyswung forwardly or rearwardly to turn the steering knuckles 1 in theproper direction to turn the vehicle to the side desired, the steeringlever 13 being antomatically locked in adjusted position upon releasingthe releasing finger 19 to permit the locking pawl 16 to again engagethe proper teeth 17 It will further be evident that this cam and strapwith the rod connected with the strap and the lever connected with thecam may be employed for various other purposes.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that minor changes in the details ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

What is claimed is A device of the class described comprising thecombination with a steering knuckle and floor of the vehicle, of a pairof brackets depending from opposite sides of said floor, a pin mountedin said brackets, a cam disposed between said brackets, a leverextending downwardly through said floor and between said brackets, andbeing rigidly connected to said cam, a band secured around the outerperiphery of said cam, a steering rod, the outer ends of said band beingcon- 15 nected to opposite sides of the steering rod for operating thesame upon movement of said cam and means positioned Within the upperface of said floor for holding the steering lever in an adjustedposition and the free end of the rod connected to the steering knuckle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES BRUCE.

-Witnesses:

W. M. SAMGUS, V F. A. KLEEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

